Secret of Life
by believeinyourdreems
Summary: Lucas Friar and Isaiah Babineaux. Rumor has it they got kicked out of their old school for picking fights. These bad boys find themselves at John Quincy Adams Middle School, where they meet some good people that just might change them for the better.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So this is my first ever Girl Meets World fanfiction, and I'm super excited to see where this goes. This is just a short preview of the beginning, but I'll try to update again this weekend. Without further ado, let's get started!**

 **XxXxX**

Lucas and Zay pushed open the double doors of their new school.

"Dude, look at this place," Zay paused and looked to his friend. "It's crawling with nerds!" The two best friends burst out laughing.

"Zay, that kid actually got his nose in a book. This is ridiculous! We're gonna run this school in no time." Lucas high fived Zay as they headed over to the vending machine for a small breakfast, a tradition they continued from their old school in Texas.

Lucas checked his pockets, before groaning, realizing he had forgotten his wallet. "I left my money at home."

"Don't worry, brother- I'll find us something."

Zay scanned the nearby crowd. He saw two girls, one blonde and one brunette, standing near the lockers. A boy with a bowl cut clad in an orange turtleneck and red plaid shirt left the two girls and walked towards the two boys.

"Greetings, I am Farkle." The boy introduced himself.

"What?" Zay asked.

"My name is Farkle. Anyways, I didn't recognize you two so you must be new here. I'd be more than happy to be your tour guide of this wonderful sch-" Lucas cut Farkle's rambling short by asking him a question.

"You got any money?" He asked, already irritated with this 'Farkle' character.

"W-well, my father gave me a $20 bill for emergencies, but if you'd give me just a minute I'm sure I could lend-"

Farkle was cut off once again as Lucas slammed him up against the vending machine.

"Give me the twenty, geek." Lucas snarled.

"Put him down!"

An unknown voice shouted from across the hall. The two girls that were standing by the lockers were marching over, the brunette taking the lead.

"And you are?" Zay approached them, crossing his arms.

"Riley Matthews, class princess. And I demand you put our friend down. Right now." Riley, the brunette stood there with a stern face.

"You guys heard her. Put Farkle down and no one gets hurt." The blonde reiterated.

"Oh no, Lucas! We're gonna get beat up by two girls!" Zay feigned fear as he and Lucas started cracking up.

"This isn't funny! Do you know what you're doing? Bullying. You are bullying someone. And that's not okay." Riley was starting to get fired up.

"Zay, they're calling us bullies! I am so hurt!" Lucas dropped Farkle for a second as he got real close to Riley. Too close.

"I'ma tell you one thing, princess. You don't wanna mess with us. I don't want to hurt a girl, but it wouldn't be my first time. So why don't you hop along before your Farkle isn't the only one being 'bullied'?" Lucas whispered.

"Hey! No one threatens my Riley." The blonde marched over and kneed Lucas in the stomach.

"Dang, what's your problem, blondie?" Lucas asked as he doubled over in pain.

"The name's Maya, and how _dare_ you threaten to hurt my friends? You hurt them, I hurt you. Got it, 'hop along'?" She sighed and turned to face her best friend.

"Are you alright, peaches?" Maya asked.

"She called her peaches!" Zay cackled.

Maya moved to hit Zay, but Riley grabbed her hand. "Maya, don't. If you do this, you're no better than them."

"You're right. Let's just go to class." Maya turned on her heel and started walking.

"You coming, Riles?" Maya raised an eyebrow.

"Go on without me. I'll be there in a minute." Riley's eyes were locked on Lucas.

"Alright, come on, Farkle." Maya and Farkle walked off to Mr. Matthews' class.

Riley reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. She took out two $1 bills and handed one to Zay, and one to Lucas.

"I am giving these to you because deep down, I believe that you are good people."

And with that, she turned on her heel and went to class.

 **XxXxX**

 **And that's the end of the preview! If there are any ideas you guys have, I can try to incorporate them into the story. Please review, and I'll see you all next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you guys so much for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows! I was literally bouncing around in my seat like a little child. But the thing that upset me was that a lot of the reviews were simply couple demands. I'm going to tell you all right now that this story is** ** _not_** **about relationships. This story is about friendship and becoming a better person. In the future, I'll probably write stories about relationships, either Rucas or Lucaya, but if you came here for pairings, you're reading the wrong story. Btw, sorry for the wait. I know I promised to update again over the weekend, but I struggled to find inspiration and got a little busy with the school week and homework and whatnot. Okay, sorry about all of that, but now we get to the fun part- the story! Enjoy!**

 **XxXxX**

"Alright, class. So today, we will finally learn about what happened in Belgium in 1831. Are you excited, Farkle?" Mr. Matthews asked as he finished writing the lesson topic on the board.

"No! I refuse to get my hopes up once again! Because something will happen to her," Farkle pointed to Riley.

"No changes for me." Riley smiled.

"Or to her." Farkle gestured to Maya, who was doodling in a small sketch pad.

"What would happen to me?" She retorted, before returning to her drawing.

Farkle began to bounce in his seat. "Ooh, this is really it!"

Mr. Matthews chuckled. "In 1831, Belgium-"

He was cut off as the door was kicked open by one Lucas Friar, Zay Babineaux following suit.

"Oh no." Maya groaned, banging her head on the desk.

"Well, lookie here, Zay. We already got ourselves some friends in this class! It's Princess, Blondie, and Geek!" Lucas teased.

"Matthews, please tell me that these idiots aren't going to be in our class." Maya pleaded.

"Sorry, blondie. But we've got our transcripts right here." Lucas held up two half sheets of paper, which he handed to Mr. Matthews afterwards.

"Alright boys, now please take a seat so that I may continue with my lesson." Mr. Matthews set the transcripts down on his desk.

"I think I'm gonna sit next to my new friend, Geek, here." Lucas announced.

"I'm not a geek." Farkle muttered to himself.

"I'm right behind ya, Luke." Zay plopped down in the desk behind Lucas.

"Back to my lesson; where was I? Oh right, Belgium 1831. _Now_ are you ready, Farkle?" Mr. Matthews asked.

"I don't care anymore." Farkle mumbled.

"What?" Lucas exclaimed. "Geek doesn't want to learn? Oh, the sky is falling." He overdramatically fell out of his seat, earning laughs from a few of his fellow students.

"Do you ever give it up?" Riley spoke up for the first time since the boys entered the room.

"Give what up, princess?" Lucas questioned.

"Do you ever let your guard down, quit the bad boy act?" She asked.

"This is no act, doll. This is the real me. This is my life." Lucas shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Hm," Riley turned to her father. "Dad, what is the secret of life?"

"The secret of my life? Because you'll never know that, darling." Lucas said with a smirk.

Riley turned her head slowly to face him. " _No_ , what is the secret of life?"

"That's a great question, Riley. Farkle?" Mr. Matthews looked to Farkle for confirmation.

"Go ahead." He rolled his eyes and opened up a new page in his notebook.

"Okay, Matthews. I'm gonna stop you right before you start. Instead of sending us on a wild goose chase or journey full of heartbreaks and disappointment, can't you just tell us the lesson from the jump? For once?" Maya asked, full of exasperation.

A smile formed on his face, but his eyes were full of thought. "Okay. You get your wish, Maya. I'll tell you all the secret of life right now."

"Wait, seriously?" Maya's face contorted into a look of confusion.

"Kate Winslet once said, 'The good and bad things are what form us as people… change makes us grow.' Mr. Matthews quoted.

"I love Kate Winslet." Riley said with a smile on her face.

"I know, sweetie. You've watched Titanic at least three times this week and it's Tuesday." Mr. Matthews sighed.

"But I don't like change. Especially _bad change_." Riley's eyes reduced to the size of slits as she glared at Lucas and Zay.

Zay cleared his throat uncomfortably as she held her gaze.

"Remember, Riley, change makes us grow. And you know what causes change? People. That's the secret of life. People change people." Mr. Matthews slowly walked around the front of his classroom.

"Let me get this straight. You're saying people change people, and change makes us grow. So in retrospect, people make us grow?" Lucas questioned. It seemed that for just a second he had let down his guard.

"Yes, Mr. Friar. You've just got to find the right people." A grin spread across Mr. Matthews' face. Lucas was picking things up quickly.

Lucas scoffed. "That's stupid." And the guard was back up.

Mr. Matthews frowned as the bell began to ring. Everyone picked up their bags and left, Lucas and Zay before anyone else.

Riley followed Lucas straight into the hallway. "What is your deal? I get that you want to keep up this whole bad boy façade, but you don't have to be rude to my father. And maybe if you listen, I mean _really_ listen to his lessons; you could learn a thing or two, maybe even change for the better." Riley finished quietly, taking a deep breath. She had confronted the same person twice within the same hour, and she was hoping for a better outcome this time around.

"You're just like your father." Was all he could say in response.

"Thank you." A shy smile appeared on Riley's face.

"He didn't mean it as a compliment, sugar." Zay butted in.

The two boys turned the corner and headed off to find their next classes.

Riley wasn't entirely sure what they meant, but she was certain of one thing; she was going to change these boys for the better, and they were going to grow. They were going to know the true meaning behind the secret of life.

 **XxXxX**

 **And there's chapter two! I know that chapter was pretty short and it wasn't very great but I promise it will get better as the story progresses. I'm so excited for tonight's Girl Meets World. See you all next chapter my lovelies!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in** ** _such_** **a long time! I had writer's block for the longest; then I got busy with life. But I'd like to thank everyone that reviewed, followed, and favorited my story while I was away. Now here is chapter three. Sorry it's so short, but I really wanted to get something up. Now, here it is!**

 **XxXxX**

Maya had never been a big fan of school, but she did enjoy art more than anything in the world. Mr. Matthews certainly made history interesting, but it would always come second to Ms. Kossal's art class. She strolled in happily, humming to herself. Sitting down at her station, Maya got set up and started working, without being given an assignment. She needed any kind of distraction from reality, since her day had already gotten off to a bit of a rocky start. The paintbrush ran in smooth strokes up and down the easel as Maya released her feelings into yet another masterpiece.

"This is beautiful, Maya." Ms. Kossal's black heels clicked on the tile floor as she made her way next to Maya.

A grin spread across her face. "Thanks, Ms. K."

"By the way, I was wondering if you could do me a favor." She tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Of course," Maya replied without a second thought. Perhaps she would be painting something for the school or taking photos of nature; any art related projects were sure to get Maya excited.

"Great! We're getting a new student today; his name is Isaiah Babineaux. I would love it if you could show him the ropes around here and get him caught up on this week's assignment. Hope I'm not asking too much of you?" Ms. Kossal straightened out her black cardigan as she waited for a response.

"Um, I'd be happy to help." Maya agreed hesitantly.

"Thanks a bunch, Maya. I owe you one." Ms. Kossal strode away to go help another student.

Maya sat patiently waiting for Zay to arrive. She glanced up from her painting and peered out the window. She spotted Zay looking in like a lost little puppy. Shaking his head at no one in particular, he backed away from the window and walked off.

 _Don't do it, Maya. Don't follow him._

But before Maya could think, her feet were up from her stool and slipping out of the back door. She rushed down the halls and found him sitting on the staircase near Mr. Matthews' class. Without uttering a word, she sat down next to him. They sat together in a long silence before Zay finally muttered something.

"My father was an artist."

Maya nodded her head nonchalantly. "That's cool."

"When he drew, it was always something beautiful and meaningful. He told a story with every stroke of the brush, every curve of the pencil. He's the whole reason that I even took this class, but when I see everyone's artwork in there, I realize that I could never do his legacy justice. He was a much better man than I." Zay hung his head in shame.

Maya was surprised with how open he was being, judging by how hostile he was towards her not too long ago. "Do you mind if I ask what happened to him?"

This time, Zay stayed quiet. Of course he had heard the question, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

Maya sighed. "My dad walked out on us. My mom and I. He left us for another family," She laughed humorlessly. "You'd think after all these years I'd get over it, but I just can't. I can't forgive him."

Zay lifted his head and gave her a warm smile. "Thanks for sharing that with me. Now," he leapt up from the step he was sitting on. "Are we painting or what?" His usual charismatic front was back, which confused Maya.

"What? I kind of thought we were doing a thing, sharing personal stuff; you just want to leave it at that?" Maya stood up and discovered that he wasn't much taller than she was.

"Yup." He replied while popping the 'p', which let her know that he was faking. The happiness oozing out of his tone and the cheesy grin plastered on his face made one thing painfully obvious to Maya.

He was a runner. Just like her.

 **XxXxX**

 **And there is the new chapter! What do you think happened to Zay's dad? I want to hear your feedback so far. Again, sorry that it's super short. I'm hoping to update again sometime this week. Be sure to review and share your thoughts!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, I am so sorry you guys! I know you all have been waiting patiently for me to update, and I really have no excuse except for the fact that I got super busy, once again. I know that's what I always say, but December was the busiest month of the year for me, full of birthdays, concerts, caroling (for a grade), and tests. But it's a new year, and I'm hoping it will be full of new chapters and stories from me! One of my resolutions was to be more responsible this year, and I want to be more responsible about my writing. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I appreciate each and every one of you. Now you asked for more, so here's chapter four!**

* * *

Riley strolled in to her Algebra 1 class just before lunch. She took her usual seat in the front row. It was one of the few classes that she had without Maya or Farkle, and it was the one class she had with Missy Bradford, the preppy queen bee of the eighth grade. She sighed as she reached into her Free People backpack to remove the previous night's homework. Lucas had been in every one of her classes thus far and always made sure his presence was known. Disrupting her thoughts, Riley felt a manicured finger tapping on her left shoulder insistently.

"Hey, Riley."

Riley spun around slowly. "Yes, Missy?"

"Rumor has it that there are two hot new guys, and they're both in your first period. Spill the deets." She demanded.

A few girls sitting nearby murmured their agreements and urged her to tell more about the newcomers to John Quincy Adams. It wasn't every day that the most popular girls in school would address her, so she decided that there was no harm in sharing what little she knew about them.

"Well, their names are Isaiah or Zay Babineaux, and Lucas Friar." Riley smiled tightly. "I think they're from the South, they have a little bit of an accent- especially Lucas."

"We're from Austin, Texas, if you must know." A voice she had heard far too many times that day declared.

All of the girls whipped their heads around to face the source of the voice as Riley froze. _I'm a good person. Why do I keep getting into these situations?_

"Gee, princess. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were following me." He smirked and took a seat directly behind Riley.

"I don't see how it's my fault that they got your schedule to mirror mine." Riley replied.

"Maybe its fate," Lucas got up out of his seat and got very close to Riley's face once again. Too close. "Maybe it's written in the stars that we were meant to be together. Maybe this is the universe's way of letting us know that we're soul mates. Maybe-" The bell rung that signaled fourth period was starting, cutting Lucas' proclamations short.

He teasingly ran his hand along Riley's jaw line as he made his way to his seat again. "You know I'm just playing around, princess." He whispered in a low, husky voice that sent shivers down her spine.

Missy's jaw dropped. "Looks like new boy's got the hots for Matthews!" She smirked deviously. "Lucky girl."

"So, Mrs. Kravitz, we're learning about standard formula today?" Riley laughed awkwardly.

* * *

"It was so embarrassing, Maya! He got all up in my face again and started whispering about how we were meant to be together, and then he's like 'just joking!' I mean, who does that to someone they just met?" Riley ranted.

"Peaches, you need to calm down. It's a façade! He knows that you see beyond the whole bad boy thing, so he's trying to get under your skin. Don't worry about it." Maya dismissed the topic.

"Don't worry about it?" She repeated. "Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Ladies!" Farkle exclaimed as he approached the girls at their usual lunch table.

"Farkle!" They greeted in turn.

"How have your days been so far?"

"I've had better." Riley sighed exasperatedly.

"She's over exaggerating. Hop-along was teasing her and she got a little embarrassed." Maya elaborated.

Just as Riley was about to reply, she saw Coach Kelly enter the cafeteria.

"Attention, students! The audition sheet to join JQA's Pom Squad are going to be posted right here." She gestured to where one red and one yellow piece of paper were tacked onto the student bulletin board.

"We're going to need both boys and girls, so don't be afraid to sign up! Auditions start this Wednesday after school in the gym; come in athletic clothes ready to learn the routines!"

Riley immediately turned and pouted to Maya. "Try out with me?"

"Not in a million years, peaches."

Riley added in the puppy eyes. "Please?"

"Nope!" Maya exclaimed.

"Ring power!" Riley declared.

"Ugh, fine! But Farkle is trying out too." Maya obliged.

"What? I never agreed to that!" Farkle defended himself.

"Do you have anything better to do?"

"Good point. Let's go sign up."

The three friends left their table and joined the small crowd that had already formed around the bulletin board.

Riley scanned the names on the list. _Missy, Sarah, Darby, Yogi…_ were just a few names that she recognized. She took a deep breath as she wrote her name at the top of the second paper and passed her pen off to Maya.

"Things are going to get very interesting around her, aren't they, Maya?" Riley asked, linking arms with her best friend.

"They certainly are, Riles."

 **So there is chapter four! I'm not very proud of this chapter, but it's the best I could do until I get my groove back. Feel free to leave suggestions and don't forget to review, love you! x**


	5. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Hi everyone!**

 **Wow, it's been a really long time since I've been on here. I've had a really busy year and I'm so sorry to have kept you guys waiting. But I'm back! Now, I want to continue this story but I need help from you guys. Please offer me suggestions through reviews or PMs! Tell me the things that you want to have happen in this story! I'm open to anything and I'll try to take as many suggestions as I can. I have a general idea of what I want to do, but I really want to get you guys involved too! Please let me know if you want me to continue this and what should happen.**

 **believeinyourdreems**

 **xx**


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